Outside in the courtyard about 10 men from the Nkomo neighborhood gather, having caught word of what they call "a gathering of fags." The news spreads through the neighborhood. Their numbers grow. Around midnight, they burst into the room.

"Nearly two dozen people who came to the party were nearly beaten to death," says Yannick N, an organizer of the evening. "The abusers themselves said they wanted to do away with them."

Some gay men at the gathering were robbed of money, mobile phones, jewelry, identification papers, etc. Others were seized, insulted, beaten and injured, Some victims were stripped naked and forced to return home without clothes. Gay bashers pulled gay men from taxis. They pursued young men running.

None of the organizers called the police because they know from experience that the police would have arrested the gay victims of the beatings rather than the gay bashers.

Cameroon is one of at least 38 of Africa's 54 nations that currently have laws penalizing same-sex relations or even sexuality. Four nations—Mauritania, Nigeria, Somalia and Sudan—boast the death penalty for gays or same-sex activity. South Africa and Seychelles are the only African nations that protect LGBT rights. South Africa is also the only African nation to guarantee marriage equality.